Weeping And Gnashing Teeth

              Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

                He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

            “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

            “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

            “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

            “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” (Luke 13:22-30)

 

            Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

 

            The question in this passage is a common one today. Some say that everyone will ultimately be saved, but Jesus disagrees with them here. And if everyone is to be saved, why did He go to the cross? Why did He argue with the Pharisees and Sadducees? He specifically says that many will try to enter and not be able to.

            Some agree wholeheartedly with the idea of “limited seats available.” They quickly tell us that Jesus ate and drank with prostitutes and tax-gatherers and rejected the religious folks. Actually, He didn’t reject religious folks. He rejected those who rejected Him. He rejected those who believed they had the right to decide who will be saved and who won’t. That’s His right and His choice, not ours. And in today’s passage, He states bluntly that just because people ate and drank with Him doesn’t mean they ever had a relationship with Him, were preferred, or were saved.

            But what does this tell us about the kingdom and our part in it? It clarifies that doing a bunch of good and right things doesn’t matter. Someone could do ten million good things, and Jesus may have heard about all you’ve done, but if He doesn’t have a relationship with you, He’s not going to open the door to you.

            The kingdom of God isn’t about what we have or haven’t done. It’s not about keeping rules or checking off good deeds. It’s about God’s range of influence in our lives and through our lives into the lives of others. And if that doesn’t exist, nothing else matters.

            For a long time, I thought the notion of weeping and gnashing teeth was something the lost did because of their pain and their sorrow. As I think about it today, another picture comes to mind: a person’s reaction when their will is crossed. They might weep to make someone feel guilty and gnash their teeth as they try to shame someone into doing what they want. As the passage says, the people will claim they ate and drank with Him - He owes them admittance. If He doesn’t give it? Well, they’ll show Him.

          Lord, expand Your influence in our lives. Awaken our relationship with You.